The new Arceau Millefiori collection by Hermès brings together the magnificent workmanship of Swiss watchmakers and the long-established art of glassmaking. These fine timepieces are adorned with a myriad miniature glass flowers created by Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis in France, a company which has been perfecting its craft since 1586 and has manufactured the crystal dome of the Atmos table clock, unveiled last year as a collaboration between Jaeger-LeCoultre and Hermès.
The Paris-based luxury brand puts heavy emphasis on supreme craftsmanship, taking the slow approach to production and favoring quality over quantity, resulting in stunningly beautiful and very exclusive pieces.
Inspired by the Millefiori (which is Italian for thousand flowers) paperweights dating back to the 19th century, the Arceau watches are available as one of two models: either a pocket or a wristwatch. The former comes in a 48mm white gold case with a Millefiori dust cover and a Hermès self-winding movement with a power reserve of 50 hours. The latter can be had with either a 34 or a 41mm white gold case, featuring vividly colored Millefiori dials, including a pink version offset by 60 diamonds on the bezel. Both models come with splendidly adorned in-house self-winding movements, which are visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
[The Jewellery Editor]
